


From Rival's to Tolerable

by HolyKingWasteLand



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions
Genre: Angst, Can be read as slash, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I just love this trio, I love Team Rocket with my whole heart, Just a big ol' Angst fest, Near Death Experiences, Not Beta Read, Really tried to emphasise that in this fic, Rivals to Tolerable, Serious Injuries, Team Rocket Whump, They're so young, We Die Like Men, asking for help, at midnight, drabble of sorts, intense injuries, they're fifteen, written in like an hour
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-05
Updated: 2019-07-05
Packaged: 2020-06-10 10:15:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19500622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HolyKingWasteLand/pseuds/HolyKingWasteLand
Summary: Ash opened the door to see a soaked James, and an unconscious, extremely injured Jessie in his arms. "Please," He begged, "help me."





	From Rival's to Tolerable

**Author's Note:**

> Hi yes as you can see I live for angst, thanks for stopping by the pain train *toot toot*

Of everything Ash thought he'd find on the other side of the front door at one in the morning, this wasn't it.

* * *

It had all started with an angry little Marshadow. Jessie and James had tried catching the thing, but it ended up all going horribly wrong.

Jessie fell into a dazed sleep, dreaming of her life without James and Meowth. So deep she doesn't even remember them.

James tried waking her, but it was no use. Marshadow must have really had it out for them, because it didn't just stop at the sleep spell, it began attacking her with all it had.

The attacks spiralled into a full-on Pokémon battle. Meowth, Mareanie, and Mimikyu all fought to the point of fainting. The last one left was James, and Arceus damn it- he gave it his all!

But, Marshadow didn't have any interest in him, it wanted to hurt Jessie. And no amount of praise from the boss could make him feel good about Jessie being hurt.

So he ran.

He pocketed his and Jessie's Pokémon, and carried her and Meowth in his arms for as long as his legs would take him.

Jessie was badly injured. Bleeding from anywhere he could see. Scratches, burn marks from the fire punches, and bruises. There wasn't an inch of skin that was left alone.

Tears filled James' eyes. He couldn't even protect his human partner. Let alone his Pokémon. After a few minutes of wallowing, he steeled his nerves and began shaking Jessie, praying to Arceus that she would wake.

And she did; despite it only being for a moment. She was very disoriented and in a lot of pain when she came out of her induced slumber, and quickly fell asleep once more.

What was he supposed to _do?_

Now, James lays Meowth gently on Jessie's chest and then lifts them both into his arms. He doesn't know where he can go, where he _should_ go.

So he goes where his feet take him.

A bad idea is putting it lightly, but as Jessie's dead weight becomes more dead than weight, he doesn't care.

And he goes to the beach. To where that Twerp is staying. He heaves his friends- his _family-_ up the stairs and kicks the door helplessly. It's a few minutes before anyone answers, but the look of surprise, anger, and then horror that crosses over the twerps face makes him hopeful.

* * *

Ash wasn't sure what to make of this. Why on Earth was Team Rocket outside his house in the middle of the night? "Please," James begs, " _help me._ " 

He almost thinks it to be a trap, but when he sees the distress and tears in James' eyes, he quickly ushers them in.

If this was an act, it was a damn good one.

James lays Jessie and Meowth on the couch, brushing the hair out of his partner's eyes. Ash runs out of the room, and returns with Professor Kukui.

The Professor audibly gasps, and almost yells, but stops abruptly upon seeing the injured human and Pokémon lying on his couch. "First-Aid kit." Kukui instructs Ash, and the boy nods once before running off to fetch it. Kukui kneels beside James and puts a hand on his shoulder. "She needs a hospital."

James shakes his head violently, tears falling rapidly. "No, we can't- we're criminals. They'll take her away-" He sobs, clutching Jessie's hand for dear life. Kukui finds his choice of words a little.. off. An adult would have the rational thinking of self-preservation and take her despite their reputation.

Kukui takes a breath. "How old are you?" He asks gently, begging Ash to hurry. James looks up at him, confused, and more than a little scared.

"Fifteen." And it breaks Kukui's heart to hear that word. "We- We're both fifteen."

They were so young. Too young to have this much hurt. Kukui's made up his mind. He nods, and then lifts Jessie carefully into his own arms. James looks terrified, so Kukui smiles.

"Tell me about her." He says casually, like they were talking about the weather. James' shoulders relax only slightly. He begins telling Kukui just small things, name, Pokémon, favourite food. Then, Ash arrives and they all exit the home. They make it to the Pokémon Centre, and Nurse Joy takes both Jessie and Meowth, not asking any questions.

The other three (four, including Pikachu) sit in the waiting room silently. Kukui speaks softly, asking why James would join an organisation like Team Rocket at such a young age.

"I needed freedom from my parents." Is the only answer he gets, before James goes completely silent again.

They sit in this relative silence for about an hour, until Nurse Joy returns. James walks up to her, and asks about their other Pokémon, because they were hurt pretty badly too. She takes them with a smile, and says they're in good hands, before leaving again.

All is quiet and still.

It remains this way until she returns again, quicker this time. She pulls Kukui away to ask some questions, and then brings them all into Jessie and Meowth's room. 

Two beds. Less than five feet apart. Jessie's hand is outstretched and holding onto Meowth's, even as she sleeps.

Her injuries are covered in gauze, band-aids, and creams. His injuries aren't nearly as bad, but they still hurt.

That thought makes him feel selfish. Here is his best friend, practically on her death bed, and he's thinking about his own pain.

James closes his eyes, and takes a breath.

He sits down in the chair beside his partner's bed, takes her hand in his, and finally lets exhaustion take him. He lays his head on his free arm, and sleeps.

He'd be here when she woke up, and she _would_ wake up.

As slumber takes him away, one thought stays present in his mind:

_Never battle with Marshadow again._


End file.
